


spilled coffee

by silentxstorm



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: (but not maliciously?), (not done by any of the characters to another character), Auguste is Pretty and Dumb, Background Character Death, Damen is Oblivious, Jealous Auguste, Jealous Laurent (Captive Prince), Laurent is Sassy, Misgendering, Multi, Pre-OT3, Pre-Relationship, Romantic Friendship, Unresolved Romantic Tension, none of the mains obviously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-20 02:34:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18983449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silentxstorm/pseuds/silentxstorm
Summary: Auguste and Laurent are grabbing a cup of coffee with their best friend and biggest crush, Damen, just before the holidays.





	spilled coffee

**Author's Note:**

> hi. it's been an age since i've written and since i've posted. this has been floating around my head for a bit as i saw a small boy with pretty hair at work and immediately my brain ran with it. 
> 
> ages of the boys here: i see laurent about 11-13. damen about 15-17. auguste in his early twenties.
> 
> i'm tired so if i missed any tags, let me know. also i'm just generally pretty terrible at tags. apologies.

‘Oh! Aren’t you so pretty!’ The couple turned to the adult accompanying the child.

‘Your daughter’s so cute! She’s got such pretty hair.’ They smiled down expectantly at the girl only for her to roll her eyes and pout. The adult smiled fondly down at her and brushed her hair off of her forehead. Her long blonde hair caught the weak sunlight, glimmering in loose, wavy ringlets that fell midway down her back. The colour intensified to a brilliant, pale gold at the ends. The man tucked a lock behind her ear before reaching for the girl’s hand.

‘Thank you. He is rather pretty, isn’t he?’ The couple immediately frowned at their blunder, struggling to find a way to politely correct their mistake. The boy tugged at his brother’s hand.

‘Come _on_. You promised we wouldn’t be late.’ The boy glared up at the couple responsible for his potential lateness. 

‘We won’t,’ Auguste soothed. He shot a bright smile at the couple and nodded his farewell, letting the boy drag him down the street. 

‘You don’t have to keep dragging me, Laurent.’ The boy turned around and jerked the man’s arm playfully. 

‘I know.’ The smug satisfaction in the boy’s tone made the man laugh. The sidewalks were bare on this particular Sunday morning due to the bitter cold. Frost-kissed dead leaves littered the sidewalks, rustling in a passing breeze. It didn’t go unnoticed that Laurent shivered with every gust. Auguste pulled him into his side, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. Laurent heaved an irritated sigh but wriggled closer. 

‘You’d have been warmer if you wore that hat like I told you to,’ he offered as they strolled along. Auguste didn’t need to look down to know that Laurent had rolled his eyes in response to his statement.

‘I think you did it on purpose to show off your hair,’ he paused. ‘You know if you cut your hair like father suggested you wouldn’t get those kinds of comments.’ Laurent scoffed in reply.

‘I can’t help it that my hair looks great,’ Laurent said, flicking his hair off his shoulder. He quickly glanced up, unease filtering through his expression before looking down at the ground. ‘You don’t look like a girl and you’ve got long hair.’

‘True, but you don’t hear people saying things like “Oh Auguste! What long luscious locks you have! You’re so pretty!”’ Laurent pulled to a stop at Auguste’s affected high-pitched voice. He gave Auguste a look that told him in no uncertain terms he was dead wrong. Auguste raised his eyebrow in return.

‘When has that ever happened? Please – enlighten me.’ Laurent stared blankly at Auguste before clutching his hands and tucking them under his chin, softening his face. It was remarkable how the one action made him seem far more feminine and coupled with his hair it would be difficult to assume otherwise at first glance.

‘“Oh Auguste! I just love your man bun.” “How long did it take you to grow out your hair? It’s so distinguished.”’ Laurent dropped his voice and muttered, ‘That doesn’t count all the people who look for an excuse to touch your hair or comb their fingers through it.’ He looked up at Auguste and stifled a chuckle at the bright red blush on his brother’s cheeks and tops of his ears. He smiled.

‘Did you really not notice?’ Laurent nudged Auguste with his shoulder. Auguste grabbed Laurent and pulled him into his chest, ruffling his hair.

‘Cut. It. Out!’ Laurent pulled back, smoothing his hair down and then turned on his heel stalking off down the street.

‘Wait! Hold up!’ Auguste jogged behind him, easily catching up to Laurent. They continued on in silence for a while until they neared a street corner. On the opposite side of the street sat a small cafe. Its windows were frosted and appeared to be mostly empty except for the teen standing in the largest window waving at the both of them. They crossed the street quickly, hurrying inside to the warmth. 

‘Hey guys! Long time no see!’ The teen pulled Laurent in for a hug before reaching for Auguste. 

‘You still getting a hot chocolate?’ He directed the question at Laurent, pulling a wallet out of his back pocket. Laurent nodded his head, scooting in closer to the teen. ‘Auguste, your usual?’ he said not giving him any time to argue against him paying for their drinks. He stepped up to the counter greeting the barista and placing all three of their orders. The teen missed the large eyes the barista made at him as he turned back to Laurent and Auguste. 

‘Which table?’ The three of them turned towards the mostly empty room and Laurent charged ahead towards the cosiest section in the back corner. He scooted over to leave room for his brother and their friend. Both followed Laurent over, obliging him by sitting so that Auguste and Laurent sandwiched the teen. He shot a wide, dimpled grin at them. 

‘What’s new? It’s been a while.’ Both stalled for an answer, distracted by the immediate arrival of the too-friendly barista and their drinks of choice. 

‘That was quick! Thanks!’ Damen smiled brightly at the barista who blinked for a second before returning the smile with a blush and scampering off. Laurent shifted slightly so that he was leaning towards Damen. 

‘I still have no idea how you get them every single time, Damen.’ Auguste shook his head. 

‘What’re you talking about?’ Damen sloshed his drink, spilling hot liquid over the back of his hand. He shook it vigorously, bringing it to his mouth when another barista swept by the table depositing a stack of napkins before carrying on around the room, bussing tables as they went. Auguste gave him a significant look.

‘That.’ Damen shook his head, cheeks tinged with a hint of pink. He turned to Laurent to change the subject only to find him glaring daggers at the barista. 

‘Well…’ Damen trailed off awkwardly. Laurent looked up at his voice, the corner of his mouth turning just enough for Damen to recognise the smile for what it was. 

‘You know Auguste was just saying before we got here that I need to cut all my hair off.’ Both Damen and Auguste looked shocked before turning on each other.

‘Why would you say that?!’

‘I didn’t!’ Damen inhaled deeply, brows furrowing in displeasure. Auguste narrowed his eyes at Laurent who took advantage of his hot chocolate and conveniently took a sip. He looked back over at Damen.

‘I said that our father wanted him to cut it, and I only mentioned it because someone on the way here thought he was a girl. Again.’ Auguste dragged his eyes from Damen to glare once more at Laurent. 

‘It’s not my fault they don’t have eyes,’ Laurent started. ‘Or use their brains.’ Damen chuckled, missing the pleased look on Laurent’s face and the fond one on Auguste’s.

‘I think it looks nice. You take good care it, but I think the more important question is whether or not you like it, right?’ Damen offered kindly. Laurent ducked his head down for another strategic sip of hot chocolate and nodded. 

‘You know he suggested that I use my hair to garner attention,’ Auguste teased. Damen coughed.

‘Not you too!’ 

‘Well, don’t you?’ he asked hesitantly. Auguste sniffed. 

‘I do not.’ Both Damen and Laurent choked on their drinks. Auguste wilfully ignored them. 

‘So…’ Damen trailed off, face scrunched in thought. Laurent caught Auguste’s eye. They both smirked. Laurent opened his mouth but paused as Damen’s face cleared.

‘Are you both excited for the holidays? Any plans at all? Other than the usual, I guess?’ Laurent’s mouth snapped shut. Auguste reached behind Damen and squeezed Laurent’s shoulder affectionately, pressing the three of them together. Damen sputtered, sloshing yet more liquid on himself. He set his cup down and wiped off his hands as he leant away from the brothers. He sent a concerned look Auguste’s way, but he just shook his head.

‘It’s going to be same as usual. Nothing special.’ An awkward silence filled the space between them.

‘Oh.’ Damen offered unhelpfully. 

‘Yes. It’s all right.’ Auguste squeezed Laurent’s shoulder again and shuffled back to give both Damen and Laurent some room. Laurent shifted away from the pair. Damen stiffened slightly in response. 

‘Dating anyone yet?’ Auguste teased Damen in an effort to break the tension. Damen knocked his cup over. He scooted the stack of napkins over to soak up the liquid and shot up.

‘I’m just – gonna grab some more napkins.’ He didn’t meet their eyes. The moment he was out of earshot Laurent hissed at his brother.

‘Really? Was that necessary?’

‘I didn’t think he’d react that way! He just laughed the last time I asked him. I don’t understand what the deal is.’ Laurent searched Auguste’s face for a moment before leaning back, lip curling.

‘You’re an idiot.’ Auguste flushed but didn’t get the opportunity to snark back as Damen had returned with the barista. The table was quickly cleared and cleaned. Damen didn’t move back to sit between the two of them. Laurent and Auguste slid closer together in an effort to stem the anxiety coursing through them. It wasn’t like Damen to be so distant. 

‘The paperwork finally went through. I’m-I’m free. Well, as much as I can be given the circumstances.’ Damen fiddled with a paper napkin, eyes fixed on a coffee stain that had been missed. Auguste leaned forward.

‘Wait, so you’re not all on your own for the holidays are you?’ Damen grimaced. 

‘It’s not a big deal. I was just trying to see if you’d want to meet up some time for the holidays. I’m not saying I need you to spend the day with me – ’ Laurent slid a hand across the table and grabbed hold of Damen’s.

‘I’d rather spend them with you, and it isn’t like we’d be missed. Right, Auguste?’ Laurent turned over his shoulder to Auguste who nodded in agreement.

‘If you wouldn’t mind having us, we’d absolutely rather spend it with you,’ Auguste affirmed. Damen blinked and smiled warmly at them, the dimple creasing in his left cheek. 

‘Good. You’d need us anyways. Heaven knows you’re useless at anything involving any kind of extensive planning.’ Damen looked like he was going to argue with Laurent but stopped at the look on his face.

‘I don’t mean you’re incapable of planning anything. Clearly strategy isn’t entirely lost on you or you’d be hopeless at sports, but holiday planning is another beast all together. Lucky for you, you’ve got me.’

‘And me,’ Auguste tossed out sullenly.

‘And Auguste.’

‘Yeah, I’m pretty lucky.’ 

‘So, when can we come over? We need to get started immediately. I suppose we’ll need to let father know what our plans are. Auguste, do you mind?’ Laurent began to rattle off suggestions, not listening as Damen tried to explain that his flat was absolutely not big enough for the sort of thing Laurent was planning, and there was certainly no way they could squeeze a fifteen foot Christmas tree inside. Auguste dutifully whipped out his phone and seemed to be leaving a message with their father’s secretary. Damen gave up trying to dissuade Laurent who taken out a notebook that he wasn’t entirely sure Laurent hadn’t pulled out of thin air.

‘What? Don’t tell me you leave your house every morning without one?’ Laurent seemed legitimately shocked when Damen confirmed that he did not in fact have a spare notepad of any kind on his person. Laurent shook his head. 

‘Well, I suppose as long as you keep us around you wouldn’t need one.’ Laurent blushed, scribbling quickly in an effort to write down everything he had suggested whilst adding in whatever ideas Auguste threw out. 

‘I guess I’ll just have to keep you both.’ Damen’s face flamed. He didn’t know quite what to make of the dreamy look on Auguste’s face or the intense look on Laurent’s that absolutely meant he was plotting something. What he did know is that he wouldn’t have to deal with his half-brother anymore and that he wouldn’t have to face his first holiday without either of his parents alone anymore. He leaned over the table and pulled them both into an awkward, tight hug and whispered so low they almost missed it.

‘Thank you.’


End file.
